Eric Gutstein

Eric (Rico) Gutstein is a Professor of Mathematics Education in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at the University of Illinois Chicago's College of Education. He holds a PhD in Computer Sciences from the University of Wisconsin at Madison (1993). His work bridges mathematics education with social justice, emphasizing critical pedagogies in urban, multicultural settings.

Research focuses include Freirean approaches to teaching/learning, Chicago school policy critiques, and community-based mathematics curricula. He co-founded Teachers for Social Justice (TSJ), an activist organization advocating against education privatization. Gutstein has taught in Chicago public schools and co-developed a critical mathematics program at the Greater Lawndale/Little Village High School for Social Justice.

Key publications include *Reading and Writing the World with Mathematics* (2006) and co-editing *Rethinking Mathematics* (2013). His work analyzes systemic inequities through lenses like racial capitalism, school governance, and neighborhood displacement. Gutstein's teaching emphasizes student agency, sociopolitical awareness, and culturally sustaining practices.

Advocacy efforts involve partnerships with community organizations and the Chicago Teachers Union to advance counter-hegemonic education movements. His research often centers marginalized communities' voices, particularly in addressing language discrimination and educational policy impacts.